Hi;
There is a post on here from Tristi.
we have all been talking about subtalar joint fusion if this is what you are looking for i recommend you check these posts out we have been writing on this post for quite some time now i think you will find it informative. Pam.......

Just to clarify: subtalar fusion is one of three pieces to the triple fusion. If you've had triple fusion, you;ve had subtalar fusion and then some.

I am 14 weeks post op with the triple fusion, as well as Achilles tendon lengthening, ankle stabilization (ligament repair), and a bunionectomy. Been walking in my boot crutchfree for 7 days and it feels good. But going bootless is long time away. Bare floors KILL! I practice standing on my foot on the floor, and last for about 20 seconds. Then my arch and bottom of my heel will ache for the rest of the day. I guess it is just a matter of conditioning.

Does anyone else have LOTS and LOTS of cracking noises in their ankle and/or foot after fusion? It doesn't hurt, but it feels "weird" and troubles me.

Also - I think having the bunionectomy done at the same time made my toe recovery harder. It was stuck in the cast for 11 weeks and is now a ***** to loosen.

Hi Queen;
The cracking noises you are talking about are they around the fusion areas? I also had that feeling after the first fusion that I had done. The doctor thought that it was just scar tissue breaking up but when the new doctor done a cat scan I had no fusion in the subtalar joint and this is where I was getting the cracking feeling and no I didn't hurt, actually it felt good after my foot was in a cast for so long. but it really sucked knowing I had no fusion and had to have another one done. This went on for about three months until my doctor decided that I needed a second opinion. But am glad that it was found out before to much time went by and could have hurt my ankle alot worse. Pam......

eek, I hope it isn't a sign of bad fusion... I am certain I am healed properly. The cracking is exactly like when you pop your elbow, or a knuckle on your hand. It is always in the same spot, and happens each and every time I move in a certain direcion. I am afraid I am stuck with it, but who knows? I see the doctor for the first time (since walking) in a few days, and maybe I'll hear something like "that will go away with time". Otherwise, I know it's going to cause me to favor this foot, which is not a good thing.
It doesn't "hurt", but neither does scraping your teeth; it's not pleasant.

I wanted to thank everyone for their replies very helpful http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/bang.gif I wanted to tell you all that I'm only 32 and I have a fused ankle I don't hear any cracking I'm just in alot of pain. I have alot of swelling and 1 of my incisions is not healing properly I have to put sterile water on the incision 2x daily and it is not closing the wound that is. It is a pain to do on a daily basis. I had the fusion 11 weeks ago.
I have 2 questions http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/confused.gif To everyone that has their ankle fused has it changed your lifestyle and my other question is how many incisions were needed to fuse the ankle I have 4 incisions. Thank you in advance for your replies
Zappe

I have several incisions too. One along each side of my foot, going up the ankle sides. Then one "across" the top of the ankle. And one that is just a round scar from where they "explored". Sorry to hear your scars are giving you trouble. Ask your doctor for liquid stitches, or at least some tape. You may have an infection, causing swelling; investigate that.

I have myriad pains when the boot is off. Fortunately, for now, wearing the boot alleviates all pain, but I'm really tired of what I call "swivel-walking" - you know, hopping back to your good foot before too much weight is thrown on the bad one. I do try to concentrate (when I have time) on walking slow and upright, trying not to throw my hips around. Feels good on my posture.

I have the same questions you have. Patience, I suppose...I get re-examined in 5 days. Hoping to hear that this is all normal and will go away.

Have you put shoes on yet? What was that like? Mine sucked. Felt totally "wrong", but it was nice to know I could at least get the shoe on. Maybe there is a "special" shoe we need before leaping into normal ones? I will ask the doc. I am considering "Earth Shoes". Remeber them? My foot feels best when it is flexed up, and Earth Shoes do that.

Oh yeah - I had pes planus too. Severe like you, from birth. Foot hung down, torqued to the right, arch was completely collapsed (I walked on the outside edge my entire life). So far, the surgery result seems to have straigtened out the direction my foot hangs, but I can't say much for being able to flex it up any more than before. Achilles Tendon is still too tight to tell. I do notice that my calf muscle is responding well to PT. It was been atrophied all my life, and it "may" grow! Yippee!

Hi Zappa;
lifestyle change???????? very much so. no more jumping no more running at this point anyway job change cannot stand for the long periods of time like i used to. other foot takes most of the pressure from standing. last surgery was almost one year ago in 3 more weeks. (subtalar joint fusion and nerve removal). still walk with a limp and have no more calf muscle (but is starting to come back). oh and not to forget walk much slower shorter steps. as for scarring i have 4 one on inside where second set of pins are and one on top where first pin went in two on outside of ankle one down the bottom about 3 inches and one going up about 3 inches this is where the nerve was removed. i had no problems with the incisions they healed nicely not bad looking. sorry for sounding so grim but this is all part of it for me anyway. hope they figure out your problem after 11 weeks it seems your incisions should be about healed.
good luck to you........Pam......

Hey! I got an ankle brace today, and been walking in my running shoe for a few hours and feel AWESOME! Still feeling majorly stiff, and can't lean on the front of my foot at all, but I AM GETTING to NORMAL again!

My xray was fabulous. I finally asked enough questions to undestand all the fusion that took place. I have large (3 - 4 inches) bolt fusing my talar to my calcaneous (I think that is "subtalar fusion"), and then there are 2 "U" shaped bolts fusing my talar to two of the mid-bones (already forgot their names...).

Stick with your therapy, that's all I can say. I am spending large amounts of time stretching, doing isometrics, balancing, squatting, massaging, almost all day long. My foot is weary (and ache-y) at the end of every day, but a "good" weary.

I had a calcaneous fracture repaired about 5 months ago, and I also had serious problems with incision healing. I had a "hole" probably bigger than a silver dollar, and deep, above my heel about 4 weeks after surgery. Your comment about the sterile water changes definitely hit home with me. It definitely sucked changing the bandages everyday, as well as having to look at the wound. Very depressing. After about two weeks of that, my doctor sent me to a plastic surgeon for a skin graph. The plastic surgeon put me on this cream called silvadine for burn victims, that works wonders!!! Initially, I used the cream to just get the wound in condition for a skin graph, which took about a month. After that, I noticed it getting smaller and smaller, and with my Dr's blessing(plastic surgeon, not my ortho) that I decided NOT to go through with the graph, as the wound would eventually just heal on it's own. If I had to do it over again, I'm not sure if I would have had the graph or not. It's still healing, and will heal eventually, but were talking 5 months!
Anyway, just wanted to give you some hope about the incision. My advice is to keep it clean and moist. If it starts to smell bad or you see puss, get it attention right away! The last thing you need is a bone infection. The silvadine was the key for me.
Good luck.

Your life will get better with a fused foot and you will be able to do almost everything you did before atheletically, except not as good or as fast as before.
youll be able to run but not on a daily basis or for long distance.
My right ankle has been fused since i was 6 years old, i have very limited ankle movement.
After the surgery it took me years to adapt and learn how to walk with out a limp.
But i was able to play little ball and excell at it, i ran cross country, soccer, basketball and in high school i played up until my freshman year, but the constant running up and down of soccer and basketball, started wearing on my foot and alot of days i wouldnt be able to walk the next day cause my foot would be so sore, putting constant pressure on them will cause pain and fuses your ankle up even more, only temporarlyl though
you have to find things that wont cause your foot much pain and they are out there, but just remember your ability to excell and be the best at the sport will not happen, there is only so far an ankle with fused bones can take you.
what have found is skiing is awesome for my foot, it doesnt cause much pain and you can be good at it, you wont be able to do moguls or steep pitches will be hard , but you can be better then 60% of the people out there.
weightlifting , especially doin calf excersises and leg presses etc do not hurt my ankle for sum reason. i also mountain bike, row etc.
one thing you have to worry about is your leg with your fused ankel becoming very weak, because you calves will do very little work from now on, it will be all thigh, i never developed any really calf muscle growing up and have been try to build one up.
what im trying to say is it will get better over the years and youll learn what hurts and doesnt, the problem is its decieving because for ex. last summer i decided to run, i sometime forget i have a problem, because i dont feel any pain.
well i ran a mile for like a week straight and then all of a sudden my ankle just tightened up again and i couldnt walk good for months after.
im hoping working my calves will build stronger ankle muscles and ill be able to do more.
but as to everyday life it doesnt effect me one bit, i dont walk with any limp at all and no pain at all.

Hi Zappa;
It has been a little over a year now for me. Have had two fusions done on the same ankle. I have noticed as time goes by it gets better.as long as you keep working it (not to hard). it will get better i still have a small limp but gets better with time not quite as noticeable as early on.i have been using a tread mill now for about three months it really has made a difference for me. as for the leg muscle i still am working on it trying to get it back but it is hard to stand on the front of my foot still. but i think that will come in time. good luck to you.
Pam....